Chrysanthemums for Christmas. This beautiful illustration from L. Prang & Co. has a handwritten message of Christmas Eve along the left side. It’s not totally clear when it may have been published; perhaps sometime between 1861 and 1897. Thankfully, we know the illustrator. It was Sidney Thomas Callowhill (1867-1939). A quick check for Callowhill told me that he was an American illustrator, painter and designer of porcelain. Makes sense, couldn’t you just see these beautiful Christmas chrysanthemums on a porcelain vase?
I would have usually placed this vintage image in the floral category but with the hand-written hint of it being intended for Christmas use, it just seemed better to put it here. Plus, I think there’s just something about white flowers with a few leaves on a light colored background that does give this vintage illustration more of a Christmas feel.
To view a larger version of this Christmas illustration, simply click on the picture shown here.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
